UP-DATE MAGAZINE
1317 STRATFORD AVE.
PANAMA Cmr. a 32404
SHCBT TAKES TOO LATE TO INCLUEE IN UPDATE
1. This issue was ready for mailing on December 28. Mailing was delayed
waiting for inputs from S.N.U.G. ("Sinclair North American User Group"). I
kinda threw a bomb stell to the SNUG Committee, by offering to let SNUG take
over and publish UPDATE Magazine -a GIFT to become the SNUG publication. More
than enough cash assets to publish an issue was included in the offer. What
the heck! I'm retired, dont need extra income, and SNUG needs a leg up.
UPDATE Magazine is on its feet now and operating in the black. A year
subscription to a qtality magazine (UPDATE) can be the most tangible benefit to
offer in a SNUG membership package. So far, SNUG activities and planning have
been shBky. Now we will see how serious is SNUG about getting some place! I
believe that they are serious, and that this will represent a jump ahead of
about a year in the SNUG time table.
The SNUG goals are excellent. Regretfully, Mel Nathanson is the only
survivor of the original SNUG Committee that was organized during the Orlando
Fest in March 1988. Drop-outs from the group threw too much of a burden upon
one guy. Since then, other volenteers who have staying power and dedication
have joined in. UPDATE commends Mel Nathanson for hanging in there after being
abandoned by the others.
The CATS FEST, to be held in May 1989, will be the appropriate time and
place to hold an election of SNUG Officers. This FEST promises to be the
largest assembly of Sinclair Users in one place during 1989. The opportunity
to put the final touches on the SNUG organization during this FEST must not be
lost! UPDATE URGES SNUG to OOCHDINATE with CATS and PLAN to HOLD ELECTIONS
during the FEST. All TSUGS should come READY TO PARTICIPATE. Volenteers for
SNUG officer positions from within the TSUGS should be nominated for elective
office, and floor nominations allowed. Lets get this thing going! Another
release about the CATS FEST will be in the APRIL UPDATE, and hopefully some
news about SNUG's schedule and planning.
2. DOMINO CUBE
Domino Cube is a dealership for the Sinclair Z-88 and its periphreals and
is owned and operated by Mike Fink, an "old head TS-2068 user. Mike is writing
a series of additional user manuals for the Z88. The reason for this insertion
is that page 14 of this issue has a mistake in Mike's Telephone number. I'll
get it right (below).
DOMINO CUBE, (Mike Fink) , 355 West 39th St., New York, NY 10018-1401
Telephone: 212-971-5638
3. Time Designs Subscribers: Hang in there. TDM is still alive and
kicking, but Tim has been having problems with the calender. The Sept/Oct
issue was received on Jan. 4th. Nov/Dec issue is about to be mailed. Playing
Catsup ain't fun and ole Tim will get back on schedule. DONT ABANDON SHIP!
4. QUANTUM LEVELS Magazine: The word from Tom Bent is that QL's will
absorb Syncware News and publish a larger magazine that is dedicated to ALL
Sinclair Users. This is a good publishing staff and you can look for better
things to come.
5. PIPE LINE is a new publication for the Sinclair Z88 users. See article
in this UPDATE issue. Haven't received the Jan. 89 issue as yet.
psqft
6. "QLui" is a dedicated newsletter for Sinclair QL users publisted by
Bill Fischer, 419 Parkwocd Drive East, Orange Park, FL 32073. Haven't received
an issue lately, but checking the mail box every day.
7. UPDATE also has a little Calender problem. Behind about 30 days on
filling "Issue Disk" orders. Now that the magazine is mailed these orders will
be filled quickly. December was a blast for Christmas, but a bummer for
keeping on schedule.
8. ODMIKO for TS-2068 Disk Drive Systems— "D-Base-68", an "essemble"
software designed to "take over the TS-2068 and Disk Drive". D-Base-68
includes multiple data base management, disk management, word processing, desk
top publishing, inventory management. Mail Merge. For LKDOS, Oliger DOS,
FD-68. To be released soon.
9. QL SUPPORT: The best buy since the injuns sold Long Island
(prounounced "lone-gi-lan) , is the QL CABLE ISSUE DISK.. (Also on MDV CART)..
See the write up in this issue and in the October 88 issue of UPDATE.
10. Other EXCELLENI TS-2068 DISK ENSEMBLES:
For Oliger Disk users: The TS-2068 "HARTUNG Issue Disk" is an ensemble of
DISK MANAGER programs, the best that I have seen for ANY computer.
For LKDOS, OLIGER DOS, Aerco FD-68:
a. The OCTOBER 87/JAN 88 ISSUE DISK- includes "Mail Merge", "Purity",
"List Looker". These programs create and manage data base listings of all
types, prints to paper, labels, or envelopes. Absolutely the best program to
use for managing mailing listsl This issue disk also includes "J-Utils", a
consolodation of programs and utilities. One of these is "Mixed Math", which
lets you manipulate Hex, Decimal, Binary. Convert from one number base to
another, multiply, add, divide, and subtract MIXED number bases. The third
group of this issue disk are several EXTRA MEMORY management utilities to use
with DOCK Cartridges. See the "TS-2068 Disk Software Library", page 54.
b. The SMART TEXT ISSUE DISK: This is the up-graded Smart Text
Software, the software used for piiblishing UPDATE Magazine. Smart Text is a
combination DATA BASE, Disk Manager, and Word Processor. The theme is to
provide ALL ADMINISTRATIVE functions needed for manuscript, letter, and
addressing operations. Works with all Parallel Centronics interfaces and
printers. The data manager of Smart Text is integrated with the products of
the three Data Base programs given in the Oct/Jan Issue disk di scribed in "a"
above. With Smart Text comes a Tutorial Disk that runs for three hours. Sit
back and let Smart Text tell you how to operate Smart Text. It's fun to learn
this way.
*** C0MIN3 NEXT ISSUE ***
MORE QL PROGRAMS by Bill Cable and others (including yours truly)
MCRE TS-2068 Programs and Utilities. "T-BASE-3", a new data base manager
program for LKDOS, Oliger DOS, FD-68. -Another good LKDOS article by Bob
Mitchell. Larry Kenny authors some good tips. Syd Wyncoop writes for FD-68.
IN DEPTH coverage of the Z88 will begin. See you next issue. -BJ
page 2
BUDGET CODIbjG SHEET dated 880411
Expenditures by Category
Capital: Major items such as furniture, appliances,
renovations. Others in Misc.
Clothing: Including accessories: purses, wallets.
Dental: Do not include costs paid by insurance, etc.
Insurance premiums in Insurance.
Electric: Including water heater rental or repair.
Gas: Including any maintenance.
Gifts: Including cards, wrapping, charitable
donations, Christmas cards and wrap.
Groceries: All food and non-food items (except liquor,
beer and wine whether purchased at
supermarkets, drug stores or other grocery
outlets,and including health care items (but
not patent medicines).
Housing: Mortgage or rental costs, home insurance,
repairs to major appliances (but furnace
repairs in Gas).
Insurance: Premiums for home, car, medical, dental, life,
unemployment and other insurance policies.
Leisure: Dining out, take-out food, movies, VCR movies,
movies. Cable TV rental, entertainment
equipment and entrance fees.
Liquor: Used at home.
Medical: Prescriptions drugs (less costs paid by
insurance); patent medicines, doctor and
hospital bills (less costs paid by insurance).
Misc. : General items such as magazines, newspapers,
stamps, Lucaya fees, small household items
(apply sales tax rebates here).
Personal: Magazines, hairdo's, perfume and other
cosmetics, hobbies (computers, photography,
sports) .
Phone: Including purchase of telephones, recorders,
etc., used with telephone services.
Prop. Taxes. Realty taxes.
Transport: Car costs including insurance, parking costs.
THE APRIL UP-DATE DISK — Printed with pgm "Brief"
The following programs comprise the BUDGET SOFTWARE by Bob
Mitchell.
"BUDGET. Bl" Basic Program: This program is the LOADER and MANA-
GER for the BUDGET Software. "Menu.Bl" is a secondary DISK
Mgr Menu that is available from the BUDGET program.
Three versions of the LOADER are provided, one for LARKEN DOS
one for OLIGER DOS, and one for the AERCX) FD-68 DOS.
"budget. BJ" BASIC Program- This is the main BUDGET software,
and is the BASIC PROGRAM set up and ready to be COMPILED by use
of the TIMACHItJE COMPILER.
"spread. BJ" BASIC PROGRAM- This is the Basic program SPREAD
SHEET set up to be compiled by use of TIMACHINE. When it is
compiled it, and its data are CALLED by USR call from the
LOADER program menu as needed for print out of the spread
sheet data products.
The LOADER ( "BUDGBT.Bl" ) and the Disk Menu "Menu.Bl" are not
to be Assembled. BOTH will remain BASIC programs.
The following programs are the
budge t.BJ and spread. BJ, and
the LOADER program's menu.
ASSEMBLED CODE versions of the
they are ready to be used by
"budget. GJ" is the main software ASSEMBLED into Machine Code.
"spread. GJ" is the pre-ASSEMBLED SPREADSHEET used for print
products.
SO, WHAT YOU HAVE, are two sets of programs: 1. The LOADER —
"BUDGET.Bl" and "Menu.Bl" with two assembled Code programs,
"budget. GJ" and "spread. GJ",
2. The same BASIC "BUDGBT.Bl" and "Menu.Bl", with the NON-
compiled programs, "budget. BJ" and "spread. BJ".
Other CODE programs are the doc-umentation for Operation and for
compiling the two BASIC programs with TIMACHINE. Since they are
already compiled, this will be for educational benefit only.
Try it, you'll learn a lot about how to use TIMACHINE, and when
finisted you will want to do a lot of work to speed up many of
your Basic programs.
The data files, bujJb.CT, bujJs.CT, help.CT, bujJx.CT, and
bujJ3.Cr, are all TASWCRD data files. If you have TASWCRD,
load these files for print out. Otherwise, you can use the
program on this disk, "MS-TAS" to do the job for you.
Load "MS-TAS" and enter 33280 as the starting address. Then
let the program print the data out in 64 column lines.
The DATA LENGTH for use with these data files and "MS-TAS"
ares bujJb.Cr=8320 bytes, bujJs.Cr=2048 bytes, help.Cr=3968
bytes, bujJx.Cr=2944 bytes,bujJx.Cr=2944 bytes, bujJ3.CT=11200
bytes. All have starting adr of 33280. Refer to this para
after load' g "MS-T?-<^",
The April UP-DATE Issue Disk
The operating theme of the major program BUDGET is to use
the main menu, which is in BASIC, to select the LOAD or a EMPTY
or FULL budget program. The options are to START input of data,
or to LOAD a existing budget program that you have worked on
previously. While working with the input of data, you may
discontinue and SAVE. Then later the saved data may be
retrieved and worked on again by selection at menu. An
auxiliary Disk Menu is provided for other options. Qie may
elect to break out of the program an do other functions like
printing, calculations, etc. Then the program may be re-entered
by <LOAD Menu.Bl>,
JLO SAFE V2.52 1988, J. Oliger
DISK NAME: APRIL UPDATE
FCMATTED @80 TRAC3(S, 2 SII:E(S)
CAPACITY: 159 CYLS/795K BYTES
FREE: 97 CYLS/485K BYTES
FILENAME TYPE CYLS SIZE START
BYTES
1
1826
63417
DOSDEX MGR
BASIC
2
6007
2
LOAD
BASIC
1
87
10
RflFTIPT Rl
BASIC
1
1289
60
Monii Rl
BASIC
1
702
10
iNrr.Bi
BASIC
1
583
9980
BYTES
25923
32000
spread .GJ
BYTES
1
3904
58400
budget. BJ
BASIC
5
24554
10
spread. BJ
BASIC
1
2855
8000
BRIEF. Bl
BASIC
2
5445
5
MS-TAS.Bl
BASIC
1
924
8000
LI MCLOAD
BASIC
1
487
1
PEEK VARS
BASIC
1
196
budget. CY
BYTES
6
25923
32000
SEARCH
BASIC
1
4978
1
FILE DEX
BASIC
1
1163
1
MARK-MOVE
BASIC
1
2092
1
VERIJDISK
BASIC
1
855
1
ChopTn
BASIC
2
7584
220
Btls
BASIC
3
14780
9900
Mzrt
BASIC
2
7674
1
Spell
BASIC
2
7411
100
Ohm's Law
BASIC
1
1257
100
Multiply
BASIC
2
6038
10
Type Style
BASIC
1
2055
4608
Piano
BASIC
1
4747
10
budge tD
BYTES
1
652
64716
bujE.Cl
BYTES
4
17642
47047
bujJb.CT
BYTES
2
8320
33280
bujJs. CT
BYTES
1
2048
33280
Jielp.Cr
BYTES
1
3968
33280
bujJS.CT
BYTES
3
11200
33280
bujJx.CT
BYTES
1
2944
33280
TOTAL FILES: 34
1
The DOSDEX series, by Bob Hartung, consists of six Disk
Management programs that do evert hing that one needs to do to
manage individual disks or a whole library of disks. These
programs only work with the OLIGER SAFE system and are given to
the users of other disk systems to use as foundations to build a
si mi liar disk management system. When someone does that for
another disk system, UP-DATE will publish.
Three utilities not given in the UPDATE magazine pages are:
INir, BRIEF, and PEEK VARS. INIT is different for each DOS and
provides a quick initialization of the printer code and
parameters. BRIEF is a visual and printing introduction to the
April Issue Diskette and shDuld provide a few tricks of its own
as to how to use the OPEN# syntax to direct PRINT to paper
instead of to screen. Also, BRIEF illustrates the use of nested
counters with print statements to schedule line printing. PEEK
VARS can be MERGED to any program to investigate the VARS area,
where VARS starts and ends, and to provide a disassembly of the
whole vars area of memory.
Four public domain musical programs, taken from tl">e CATS
library are thrown in for your pleasure. Three of these were
modified to continue running to infinity, each selection running
a second time in a different tempo, then automatically booting
in the next concerto. Look at the above disk catalog for
starting line numbers to investigate the methods of linking the
programs via disk load calls, and for tempo changes. A few
other Public Donain programs are also included. You will
recognize one of the authors as a regular writer for UP-DATE
(George Chambers of Toronto, who has given much to TS
Computing) .
Some illustrations of the Budget program print products are
reduced from full page size and given as follows. The Budget
program uses two printers for its output products. A selection
of "Print Spreadsheet" requires a wide page- 8 1/2 X 11" page
set into the printer sideways, or wide forms in a Centronics
printer. All otlier print products are to the TS-2040 printer,
so the TS-2040 must be connected for other print products
selected within the colored menus. The Budget program can crash
by improper selection at menu, but not to worry, as it is so
easy to start over by re-setting the computer ard re-load. It
only takes seconds and no data will be lost.
IMSURiWCE
tBISORB
ttlONE
racr. TAXES
TO/WSTORT
,00 500.00
After reading this listing, you may type : LOAD "MS-TAS". When
the program loads, use the prompts to LOAD and Print the
tutorials in the Tasword files mentioned earlier.
The starting address to input is 33280 for each of the files.
INPUT the byte length of each
ENTER <64> for the FORMAT LINE
you will need to watch for the
the paper for the second page.
file as it is given above.
LENGTH. As the data prints out
end of the page prompt to adjust
The "MS-TAS" utility should come in handy for other uses. I
have always needed to be able to efficiently PEEK out MSCRIPT
and TASWCRD code files and print them. Now we can, WITHOUT
need to load EITHER of the softwares.
Other programs in this disk are documented in the pages of
TS-2068 UP-DATE.
The Aerco FD-68 ensemble has a "movable" printer code attained
by use of Jack Dohany's RALOADER program. As used with this set
of programs, the code resides at 64500, and is 867 bytes. 67
bytes at the top is reserved to HIDE vars needed in the "next"
BASIC program, which would normally be wiped out. To use this
code, select a BASE adr, LOAD it there, then RANDOMIZE base.
POKE (base+4), width, and (base +5), line feed (0 or 10).
Included in all disks are five OUTSTANDIISiG "DOSDEX" disk mgr
programs by Bob Hartung. These are the very best Disk Manager
programs that I have ever seen for ANY computer. Sorry, but
the syntax is for the Oliger Safe Disk system. I'm just not
up to converting the programs for LKDOS and FD-68. But sooner
or later someone will do it, and the listings will be given in
UP-DATE. It should be an interesting challange to try.
There are three musical programs taken from the CATS club lib-
rary and arranged so that they run forever, unless broken.
I have a RCA jack running from the SOUND trace of my I/O port
to the monitor sound input. I went to town one day last wedc
and left the music going, which kinda upset the XYL. Oie even
gets tired of such classic muzak as Chopin and Mozart 1
Then there are several other good utilities for you to use.
A "auto INTTIALIZATION" is in thar for the Aerco pr code.
Just LOAD "INTT". Then there are several other suprises, fer
example, try "TPSTL". The results of TYPSTL will endure until
you reset the computer.
Hey! Tell all of your TS-2068 friends about UP-DATE. We need
to build up the subscriber base! HAVE FUN, and anticipate a lot
of good new articles in the next UP-DATE issue.
RMG UPDATE NEWS FOR SEPTEiMBER 1994
yOLOME Efm ^
.NOTICE! POLICY CHANGE Al RMG TAKES EFFECl IMMEDIATELY!
Effective September 1, 1994, any phone calls for assistance with
computer related problems, whether for the TS computers or IBM clones,
will be classed "CONSULTATION CALLS" and these will be billed out at
$20 per hour starting with the first minute. Mininmum charge will be
$1.00. We have been here for all of our customers at no cost to you
except for the phone call and have given thousands of hours to further
the use of computers. With the expertise that we have gained having
cost us a lot over the years, it is time to recoup some of our losses.
If we do not do this, we will have to close our phone lines and stop
doing "business as usual". We want to continue to help you with any and
all problems that we are capable of helping with. If we cannot help, we
will refer you to someone who is capable of helping. That referaJ alone
should be worth something. You would not expect to call a doctor or a
lawyer to ask them questions without expecting to pay for their time.
If all I have that you need is inside my head and you want to make use
of the knowledge there, then it will be there for you, as long as I get
paid for it. Don't get us wrong, we will still gladly accept calls for
price information and phone orders without a charge being made for
them. The new policy ONLY applies to "how do I do this" type calls. The
only exception to this new policy will- be for paid-up members of COATS
user group.
More favorable letters have arrived regarding the book THE BEST OF THE
PLOTTER. We are pleased that yuo are happy with our efforts. As of this
writing, we have not shipped the disks out yet. but again, we want to
make sure that they are as complete and "bug free" as is possible.
As sales have not been what we would like (are they ever?), we are
going to start. with this month's issue, to send out an entire set of
flyer pages. We will send out CNSN-1 through CNSN-4 this month and will
send out pages CNSN-5 through CNSN-8 next month and finish up in
October with CNSN-9 through CNSN-12. We will be adding some very
special SPECIAL PAGES along the way. This month we are sending a page
of items that we found in the storeroom while doing an inventory that
you might not have seen before or ever. Take a look.
RENEHBEf!! mi SUPFOfiT m--k'o LONG AS M SUPPORT US!
We are also including the TS clearance sheet again. We iiope that some
of you will pass on these pages to others if you know someone who also
uses a TS computer.
KEEP WATCHJN' FOR MORE NEWS! Rod Gowen. Owner, RMG Enterprises
14784 South Quail Grove Circle, Oregon City, OR 97045
503/655-7484 8AM-bPM PT * FAX/ VOl CEMA 1 L .• 503/655-4 lib 24 HRS
6
p. s.
I showed this card to an
accountant friend. She looked it
over and commented that the square
was awfully small. Thinking more
about it, she suggested that one
could enlarge it on a copy machine
if necessary!
20 REM DICK
30 REM pr in
on large pri
rizontal size
, for a card
40 PRINT AT
Office"
50 PRINT AT
any criticism
St rat ion
complete
he box and
comments to
60 PRINT AT
nt"
100 PLOT 2,2
110 PLOT 2,2
120 PLOT 252
130 PLOT 252
150 PLOT 127
160 PLOT 127
170 PLOT 137
180 PLOT 137
190 PLOT 128
200 PLOT 138
WAGNER 7/94
t with USE9 program
nter, density=0, ho
=1, vertical size=l
2x3 1/2 inches.
8,6; "From The Oval
10,3; "If you have
of my admini
please write
details in t
return your
my office. "
20, 15; "The Preside
: DRAW 250,0
: DRAW 0, 120
,122: DRAW -250,0
, 122: DRAW 0,-120
,24: DRAW 10,0
DRAW 0,8
DRAW -10,0
DRAW 0,-8
DRAW 10,0
24:
,32:
,32:
,23:
,23: DRAW 0,8
PRINTER READY ?
Dick F. Wagner
There are times that a good screen
warning of the Busy/Ready status of
a printer is very helpful,
particularly if a printer is shared
between several computers.
Larry Crawford (UpDate magazine
10/93) has a nice program that
includes a clever approach to this
problem. In his article on 24-pin
bit image graphics he used this line
to give a flashing warning on line
#0 of the bottom screen.
20 IF IN 127 <> 236 THEN
INPUT;: PRINT #0; "PUT PRINTER ON
LINE": PAUSE 2: GO TO 20
To explain; IN 127<>23
the address of Port 127
scheme of things. This
applicable to LKDOS but
uses 239. To check your
the printer OFF, PRINT
give 255 while with the
line, PRINT IN 127 wi
address of Port 127 for
equipment .
6 is simply
in the Aerco
address is
my Oliger IF
system with
IN 127 should
printer on
11 give the
the readers
INPUT; clears the bottom two lines
of the screen without clearing other
lines like CLS will.
From Tht
ij r f 1 C t:
I f y 0 u h a V £■ 3 r i y c r i t i c i s m
0 f n'lM a dm i n i s t rati o n
P I. e a £ e uj r i t e c o m p 1 e t e
dt tails in the box and
r £ t u r n y o u r c o mm e n t s t o
my 0 f f i ce .
□
The President
PRINT #0; "message": PAUSE 2: GO TO
20 is a nice way to produce a
flashing message at the bottom of
the screen. If IN 127 is true (not
236) then the message flashes. If IN
127=236 (or your address) then the
message is skipped as it is not
needed.